THE STORY OF HOW I MET MY WIFE, AGAIN
by savinginseattle
Summary: After losing Callie, Arizona holds on tighter to the things she has left but when disaster beckons the matter of how tight she hangs on becomes life or death. Can Callie act quick enough to not lose Arizona completely? ( follows on from 11x05)
1. MOVING ON

Seven arduous months and the feeling was still raw. It had became the twinge of pain that greeted Arizona every morning when she woke up to an empty bed. At the start she would of filled her mind with the idea that Callie's empty space would increasingly grow as the hole in her heart did but now all that stood was a black hole, a black hole of pure loneliness. Or it was the quick, angled, knock out blow to gut Callie was faced with every time she clicked on the radio to hear the opening chords of their wedding song. Each note bringing a different pain in the form of a memory. Each chord of the opening piano played with a gentle hand that stabbed her in the heart with the reminder of how every thing had gone so drastically wrong.

Both of them had emerged themselves into the hospital. Both building on their work relationships to drive their focus away from their feelings but no matter how much they tried each pass in the corridor brought their minds back to their last conversation as a married couple.

_SEVEN MONTHS PROIR_

One week after the therapy session and nothing had changed, nothing had been spoken about, nothing had been planned. Callie had never returned home. She had returned to work. So for everyone else Dr. Torres had returned but with only coming for a bag of clothes and Sofia, Callie had gone.

Day 5 and Arizona returned to the empty, dark house. The only light trickled through the gap in the curtains from the street lights. She wanted it this way, she wanted to drown her sorrows with darkness. But then her phone lit up and as soon as she saw who it was from Arizona's heart matched the impulsive vibrations of the text tone. Callie had text her, finally.

**_ I have the divorce and custody papers._**

The erratic heart beats faded. The want for light faded. The understanding of rational behaviour faded and her infamous temper took over. Arizona grew angry but this time at herself. Angry that she could fuck up a marriage with someone like Callie. That she would never find someone like Callie again. It could always only be Callie. As each thought pilled in to her head with in seconds of reading the text she grabbed the nearest thing, a photo frame and slammed it off the kitchen wall in a fit of anger.

The photo she later saw was a now smashed, ripped photo of their wedding,


	2. GIVE ME A REASON

"Robbins, Its been seven months and you're freakin' miserable still. Do something about it or get your long face off of my service."

"I'm not miserable!"

But yet, Alex was right, Arizona was still miserable. She felt much like she did when Tim died. Sinking back into the dark, inescapable place of numbness. Like she was falling down a dark bottomless shaft, wondering if the fall would ever be caught. Which she knew was stupid because Callie wasn't dead. She was more than alive, walking through life making veterans walk again. How could anyone feel anger against that, Arizona had no anger left just sorrow.

But Callie wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was having a life with no colour, no laughter. It was having a life with no Sofia. Sure, Arizona had weekends. However, It wasn't the same. It was impossible for her to look in those eyes coloured with sun light passing through a glass of whiskey and not think of that question Sofia asked her.

—-

7 MONTHS PROIR

"Sofia, I'll be five minutes while I get some things okay?"

Putting Sofia down as they entered the hospital, Callie and Sofia walked through hand in hand. By this point the papers had been signed and Arizona and Callie were no more. the question now was breaking the news to the very bright 4 year old. "Can I go find Mama?" Sofia spoke with a soft voice that made it hard for Callie to object. "Five minutes." With that Sofia sped of in to the hospital that she knew so well. It was amazing how well she knew it, more so than some of the doctors. As she speeded through General surgery and Neuro she didn't go unnoticed.

Sofia came to the double doors she was looking for 'PEDIATRIC SURGERY' and entered at just the right moment.

"Robbins, I don't care what your demons are. Work through it and get on or get off my fellowship. We only have six months." Dr. Herman was of course in the middle of shouting at Arizona, this time for not studying. Arizona hated how she was doing this right in the middle of her Peds ward. "I'm sorry Dr. Herman. It won't happen again."

Arizona's voice was small and just as Dr. Herman started again in a much bigger voice a child's voice came pounding through the room. " Mama! Mama!"

The calls from Sofia marked the return of the super magic smile and the eyes so powerful in their light it was enough to spark electricity. Arizona bent down to meet the sprinting four-year-old. Picking her up into a hug and spinning Sofia around, her voice became enlightened "Hey baby girl, and what are you doing here?"

Mami is getting something." Sofia's face fell to confusion, caught in thought as she tried to remember what Callie was getting. "Mama when are you coming home?"

That was it. The innocence of the chocolate brown eyes that looked up at Arizona caused her newly found good nature to come thundering down like a tree in a silent forest. Her eyes hardened as she spoke with regret. "I don't know Sof'. I'm sorry." Her eyes fell shut as she spoke, fearing if tears would fall because it was breaking her to think of how this was effecting Sofia.

—

PRESENT DAY

" So you broke up because your both miserable together and now you're both miserable apart. I don't understand, why don't you just get back together again. Surely it is better to only be miserable sometimes and happy the others than miserable constantly." Alex and Arizona gathered at the Peds nurse's station continuing their discussion.

" Thats not a good reason to be with someone, Alex."

"But its a reason."


	3. IT STARTS

The morning was cold and wet with a brisk wind sweeping the rain across the land. Rain drops slashed across the large glass windows of the hospital, each as powerful as the last rebounding off with a light shaking to the panes of glass. But, yet this was all only background noise as Arizona was dashing from ward to ward in the aftermath of Herman's wake.

"Robbins!" Herman's deep voice rippled through Arizona. Causing her to stand bolt up right in the remembrance of her Army - brat days. "I'm off all day. Don't ask. Nothing do to with you. I just need you to do two surgeries, they're easy. You'll cope with Graham." Arizona's stomach turned at the idea of working with Graham again. She had no trust in his skills after what happened last time. She was broke out of her thoughts as two heavy, bulging charts slammed down on the nurses station next to them. "Don't mess it up," Herman called from already managing to be half way down the corridor.

She needed to hold on this fellowship, it was now all she had. Alex was holding her peds ward hostage, she had avoided passing Callie three times already and it was only 9 o'clock and now this was slipping through her finger tips but not for long. Because she would ace these surgeries and prove herself to Herman, finally.

Arizona skipped down to Peds only to be blocked at the front double doors by Alex. "Alex, I just need to use the office. Calm down, I'm not stealing your territory." The reply came in the form of Alex swinging open the doors to the surprisingly calm Peds ward. Noticing Arizona's reaction, he laughed. "You seem surprised how quiet it is."

Arizona laughed back, "maybe." But then her face drained of colour. The icy blue eyes glassed over. " Alex do you smell smoke?"

Now the threat of a fire in a hospital is a massive deal. Trying to evacuate over 1,000 people, most of them critical, most of post-op. Don't even mention the patients mid surgery. But the logistics of the hospital make a fire in the Peds ward, somewhat worse. Situated on the four floor the ward is perfectly on top the hospitals four Operating Rooms. Directly sat above a sea of Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen tubes. One fire and the whole place becomes a ticking time bomb.

"What? No?" Not yet grasping the possibilities of disaster, Alex stood calm resting against the door.

**"Check every room now!"** Arizona's voice shouted at Alex above the sound of daily bustle. **"That's an order!"**


	4. THE RED BUTTON

**I'm sorry about the wait! **

_Are you someone who goes with your heart when making a decision? Or do you go your head._

_Are you someone who goes with the first plan that comes to mind, spontaneously? Or do you think every step through, thoroughly._

For Arizona now was no time to be spontaneous. "_**That is an order!**_" Arizona's gruff voice stayed with Alex as he followed her down the corridor. "You're losing it, Robbins, You are. I can't smell smoke. Its only you who can." As the pair's volume increased, the heads of nurses and doctors turned to see what the commotion was about.

"No, you don't understand. Under this floor is all the gas lines to the OR's downstairs. Oxygen, Nitrogen. All flammable gases and you don't get smoke without fire and fire here would mean the whole ward up blown to pieces in 20 minutes flat. " Arizona's face was dead pan, agitated as she stood waiting for Alex to understand. He stood still.

"Jesus Karev.**_ MOVE_**!" Arizona sprinted down the hall, swinging open each door as she passed it to find nothing but startled patients and parents. Running further and further away from Alex and the heart of the peds ward, ignoring the painful rubbing of her leg against her prosthetic, Arizona heard a noise. A crackling. She knew this sound in an instant, it was a sound that filled the nightmarish soundtrack to her five night stay in a forrest somewhere in Boise, Idaho. It was a crackling that still filled Arizona's dreams. Chasing the sound of the crackling the scent of smoke grew stronger. As she reached the very corner of the Peds ward, hidden away in the mix of store rooms and linen cupboards the sight of smoke took over. A grey misty pool of dark, flowing through the air. Each whisp of thick, solid like smoke leaking out of one, single door way.

Now this was when Arizona ran. Faster than she ever had. With one leg or two. It was a strange feeling of just running freely. Normally, it wasn't as simple as just wanting to walk. She would have to move her leg which would move the top of the prosthetic, which would move the knee, which would move the foot. But now, running as fast as she was it became one fluid motion as she dodged out the way of moving trolleys and people.

She quickly came back in to contact with the main section of the ward. To find Alex at the other end, who still hadn't moved. This was when Arizona Robbins, M.D. F.A.C.S. Chief of Pediatrics and Board Director really kicked in. Her voice boomed. Asserting respect and attention across the ward.

" Doctor Karev, you dare say I'm losing it again and you will be fired on the spot. So when I tell you to do something you do it, got it? Now hit that red button next to the door."

The Red Button' was the every board members secret weapon. After the shooting the hospitals security increased dramatically. Pressing the red button sends a signal to a switch board in Hunt's office and the local police and fire departments telling them both where it was coming from. Putting the hospital on emergency evacuation alert and it being each of the doctors responsibility to evacuate their own patients.

Alex had seen Arizona angry before, he had seen her angry at him, at Callie, at incompetent doctors who mess up surgeries on of their kids. But Arizona angry like this was a whole different ball game. It was a type of protective anger, like when someone messes with your territory. This display of familiar emotion kickstarted Alex in to action. His hand slammed on to the button and extremely loud sirens sounded. Then one by one an echo of sirens was produced as the sound started in each of the hospitals departments.

Jumping at the sudden outburst of noise Alex shouted over the sirens, "What the hell are they?"

Ignoring Alex, Arizona faced the growing mass of panicked faces and joined in the shouting, "I can't say this any other way than how it is. There is a fire in the ward." Reading the fear on everyone's faces, she quickly addressed it. "It is far away and manageable. However it won't be if we run around panicking so this is what were going to do. We are all going to get our patients charts so the doctors and whatever hospital they get transferred to know what they're doing and then we are going to all be safe and leave, okay?" This is the kind of thing that made Arizona so good at her job. It was the fact how despite the sound of booming sirens and the thought of a flickering, heated fire only the other side of this room, she able to to speak to a sea of people as if one to one and give each a smile so reassuring that if she had told you to jump of a bridge you would of done so believing everything will be okay.


	5. A GOOD MAN IN THE SMOKE

As a medical student, while graduating you are asked to take the Hippocratic oath. The oath states that as a Doctor you must make the care of your patient your first concern.

**_But, when does that patient finish being your first concern?_**

Once they're off your OR table? Once they're discharged? For Arizona it was something completely different. She wanted to be able to care for her patients until the moment they turned 18. Streams of children under Arizona's care.

**_And then, to what extent is that person your patient?_**

Is it a doctors job to care for the person purely in terms of there illness/injury? Or is to protect that person from anything as long as they are under your care? Whether this was just from being a doctor or also a co-owner of the hospital, Arizona felt responsible for her patients from the moment they walked in to the moment they walked out.

All this flew through her head as she too flew up and down the Peds corridor unaware of the confusion and chaos unfolding throughout the hospital.

The long, plaintive screams of the sirens plunging their way into the very soul of the hospital causing everyone to stop except from two people. Owen and Jackson plundered their way down the heart of the surgical ward.

Owen military-raised voice successfully boomed over the raising sirens, ''Board members! Code Orange!'' Granted, Grey Sloan did not have the most original coding system. However it beats the chaos that could of been created by screaming 'FIRE!" at the top of your voice.

The sudden shouting and sirens drew the attention of a group of surgeons who had gathered. They all swung their heads in unison towards Owen and Jackson's direction. '' Code Orange as in a fire?!'' Jo said a bit to loudly which brought the attention of already panicked patients. ''Where is it?'' Callie chimed in, being a board member she knew exactly what a Code Orange and The Red Button could bring in its wake of destruction.

Owen's face fell and turned into the trademark puddle of puppy eyes and sympathy. Or maybe it was empathy as he began to imagine if it was Cristina in the same ward as the fire. No matter how much time had past, no matter what had happened since, sometimes a love is too strong to be completely forgotten. He widened his speech to both Callie and Jo. ''The alarm came from Peds floor.'' He took a moment to read their expressions.

Jo expressed a mix of fear and concern. Her little face slackened; her brow furrowed - eyes, turned to glass, darting about in concern as if she were searching for a place to run. wanting to run to find Alex and make sure he wasn't lying unconscious in an ocean of fire.

Now Callie. She needed a moment to process her own emotions. The woman, who had been her significant other for seven years, spanning from the sudden knowledge upon meeting each other that the two of them were destined to fall in love up and till the bittersweet feeling that they won't last much longer and moving on in different lives for seven months, was now in a burning building. Her face remained blank because there was, deep down, still a spark. The two had came to the point where they could be civil enough to share conversations and spend time together outside work. However, often Callie was reminded of the spark. The rare occasion were they would hug brought back the feelings of the hug shared when Arizona found out she pregnant or the hug shared when they agreed, for the second time, to have another baby. It was over, Callie knew that but sometimes there was hope. But now that hope was conceded by confusion. Part of her wanted to run in there and get her out, the other part of her wanted to turn around and not care.

Owen continued, ''As far as I know its not big, okay? I'm hoping everyone's fine and me and Avery are gonna go see whats happening now.'' He spoke with a voice of firmness, the voice of a leader.

As everyone began to go there separate ways for evacuation Wilson's voice shouted over the still blaring sirens. ''Then I'm going with you!'' When she got the return of faces of total bewilderment. ''Alex is in there!'' The normally strong voice quivered in fear and upset. Callie reached over to hold Wilson's shoulders. ''Look, come do Ortho evacuation with me and he will be outside soon, everyone will be fine. We've all nearly died in this place.'' Callie slowly and gentled pulled Jo away from the direction of Peds and towards Ortho. As the pair walked away, you could just hear Jo's voice, ''WHAT? There going to 'nearly' die?''


	6. SAUDADE

_**Saudade – Portuguese**_

_**The feeling of intense longing for a person or place you love but is now lost. A haunting desire for what is gone.**_

"How can you be okay with this? Just going about your business while my boyfriend and your ex - wife who you were with for seven years are it the middle of a fire!?" Jo's voice was screaming at Callie as she followed behind her in to the Ortho ward. Callie ignored her, powering her way through the increasing number of gathering, confused people. "Doctor Torres!" Callie spun round so fast, Jo walked nearly in to her.

She didn't shout but spoke to give a point with firmness. "I am not just 'going about my business'. Whats going on in that Peds ward is nothing to do with my patients because they are here to be cared for by me. Right now, the only way in which i can care for them is getting them out of a potentially dangerous building, okay? I am doing my job." Jo went to interject but Callie wasn't finished. " Wilson, Do you know what its like to be waiting for five days for your wife to come home without any clue that she's 500 miles away with a bone sticking out of her leg?! I know what its like to feel helpless, okay? And right now the only thing we can do to help anyone is to concentrate on our patients and pray that everyone will be okay."

Jo took this all on board, nodding slowly as the pair stopped still in the loud, chaos of the hospital. She looked at Callie for a while. Her face looked heavy with weakness, but her eyes... Her eyes spoke a whole new story. The copper tones against honey spoke the story of a willingness to continue. A strength that could not be taught but was learnt through years of overcoming reasons to be weak. Callie's eyes gave Jo the effect of that a dramatic movie score would empower the protagonist on.

''You still love her don't you?''

The words drove through Callie like a drill. She knew she did. she knew deep down their was a love that was strong enough to probably never fade. No matter how many times they fucked each other over but these feeling had spent the past seven months camouflaged under the feeling that she was loving single life. Loving not having to share the remote with anyone, loving having as much as the duvet she wanted at night, loving not having to fight to get to shower first. but she didn't. not yet.

"There is a Portuguese word - Saudade. You can't translate it but its the feeling of intense longing for a person or place you love but is now lost. A haunting desire for what is gone. That's how i feel towards Arizona now.''

Taken a back by the sudden out bust of poetic emotion, Jo remained silent for a while until.. ''Wait, you speak Portuguese?"

" Not as fluent as Spanish."

"You speak spanish?!"

As organised chaos broke out throughout the hospital trying to get near thousands of people outside, Owen and Jackson broke through the doors of the Peds ward.

The fire being in a small closest had now produced a thick, heavy body of smoke that was slowly creeping up the side of room. Arizona was stood nearest the fire site, ushering people from the rooms and corridors of that area.

She could fell the thick must of smoke drawing in on the back of her throat with every breath. yet, she didn't care, she couldn't even think about her until she knew the kids was safe and out.

''What can we do?'' Jackson's voice travelled over the collecting mass of confused people towards Arizona's direction.

''Just get everyone out!''


	7. PROTECTION

**Sorry about the wait, guys!**

There's something you learn coming from an Army family. **_Protection_**. Protect your people and those who you love. Protect the things you have worked for and the reason for your blood, sweat and tears. Protect your beliefs and your values.

And now, here Arizona was in a state of protection. Running down the corridors armed with a dismal looking fire extinguisher. As she passed him she caught the sounds of Alex, "Thats not gonna do anything now!" His shouting startling the little girl who he was pushing out in a wheelchair but he needed to get his voice over the sirens. Why don't they turn the freakin' sirens off already. Not stopping, Arizona shouted "What else do I have?" behind her as she zoomed off.

She reached the corner of the cupboards of which the smoke was now bellowing out from. It caught the back of her throat as she continued nearer. The crystal white ceiling now unseeable by the thick layer of smoke above her. She reached for the handle of the door that stood providing a barrier between her and the heated inferno. Without thinking a hand firmly grasped around the round, metal door handle. As quickly as she touched it, she recoiled back as pain seared through her hand and continued up. She let out a scream of a swear word. It was a new pain, not like a bone through your leg, not like your brain tricking you into thinking a leg is still there. It was a tidal wave, in with the pain, out with the pain. Arizona wanted to just get out and away from the already reddening skin of her hand, away from the thickness of smoke that clawed at the back of her throat as the smoke collected. With each breathe the pain continued.

Yet, something told her to go on and with her body in hyperdrive and the adrenaline pulsating through her veins Arizona took hold of the door handle once more. This time was worse, the pain spread through her whole body as she flew open the door unleashing the monster behind it.

This cupboard was no bigger than a normal patient room and yet the fire had permeated the room. The glowing embers leaped and twirled in a fiery dance, twinkling like stars in the hot swirling air as wisps of silver grey smoke curled and danced their way through the thick, hazy air as if excited to escape the small enclosure. Arizona used her other hand to cover her mouth in fear of choking on the deadly smoke slithers. Alex was right the fire extinguisher did nothing. The effect dismal as the flames continued to roll around the room.

—

Outside, the rain pelted faces, scrubs soaked in less than a minute. Many doctors and patients stood with hair stuck to face and head, like being fully dressed in the shower. Others tried to find shelter for the all ready ill but it was no use. The drops crashed down deafeningly on the roofs of the quickly gathering ambulances, who housed patients being transported on to their new hospitals, and a convoy of fire engines. Owen, who had already helped escort many of the Peds patients out, ran towards the Fire Chief. Unfortunately, they had met before. He was a man with strong arms with a voice of authority that vibrated with power and command. This voice was quickly put into action.

''Are people still in there?''

'' 2 Doctors and their patients.''

''In Peds?''

''In Peds, yeah.''

The fire chief just nodded with the information and stood back watching the hospital. He then faced Owen again,

''Have you spoke to them?''

''Not since I left.''

''Get them somehow.''

—

A voice broke Arizona's trance from the flames, ''Robbins?!'' She didn't know who shouted and she didn't hang around long enough to find out. She left the cupboard with a gasp of fresh air leaving the bright, menacing flame and forgot one vital thing in doing so.

''They want to speak to you.'' Arizona ran back into the heart of the ward to find in surprisingly empty other than Alex, who was thrusting a phone into her direction, and the pairs gathering patients. ''Look, come on. We all need to get out!'' He spoke quietly spoke to Arizona, shielding the conversation from the kids. ''Don't you thing i'm trying? Just get your lot out and i'll follow as soon as i've talked to these,'' gesturing towards the phone but Alex was having none of it.

''I'm not leaving you alone in here!''

''Alex, You need to put your patients first and get out, alright?'' He still looked doubtful. '' Whatever Karev, If i'm not out by the time you are then come back. Hows that?''

''Okay.''

Arizona watched him go as she brought the phone to her ear as an unfamiliar voice spoke, ''Dr Robbins?'' Arizona mumbled in response as she fumbled around looking for her kids charts. ''Whats the situation?'' Still no idea who this man was, Arizona spoke to him irritated '' Karev's just left with his patients and I'm coming out once I've finished speaking to you.'' Her voice growing even more irritated at this stranger who was wasting time when by now everyone could be out. ''Okay, how about the fire?''

The phone that Arizona was sat at was situated at the very front of the Peds ward, she knew she wouldn't be able to see the fire from here but she turned around anyway.

Arizona hadn't been scared yet but now at what she saw caused the adrenaline coursing through her system to stop as the pain from her blistering hand continued and grew. As she found herself incapacitated with fear her mind travelled back to the moment she ripped open her trousers leg to find her looking at her bone. Her voice clambered down the phone in a state of quickened panic, '' Fucking... It was just in the cupboard, now its everywhere! Its.. reached down the sides and.. Oh my god I need to get the children out. Don't let Karev back in! I left the door open, who does that? This is all going to be my fault!''

''Dr Robbins? Calm down..'' The fire chief continued to speak but then the line went dead.


	8. SAVE US

As the group of surgeons and friends gathered round the Fire Chief to grab any small snippets of the conversation that they could, the level of fear increased as the Fire Chief's restlessness grew and the amount of people leaving the PEDS ward continued to be zero. The Fire Chief put the phone down and turned around to face the bunch of concerned faces. He spoke finally, a small crack could be heard in his normally booming voice, _"Who's Karev?" _

Wilson's voice fought above the crowd and the sirens. Her face hardened as she frowned to fight off the raindrops falling to her eyes. The rain doing its best to hide the impending tears._ "Alex? What's happened? Is he okay? Oh god…"_ Her fearful rambling was cut short as the sound of running footsteps came near. The heavy footprints bouncing off the thin layer of water covering the ground. _"Why would I not be okay?"_ Alex stood surrounded in children, as many as possible were hanging off his back and arms. He set them down as they all ran off to the gathered parents, crying for their children, waiting for them to return.

Jo ran over and pulled Alex in to a hug. A hug which spoke a thousand words and although their skin touched each others, longed to be closer. _"I thought i'd lost you."_ Jo breathed in to Alex's chest. He gave one last squeeze of hug before letting go and saying, "_I have to go back_."

The statement was returned by a chorus of _"What?_" and as Alex was about to speak, Callie came running over.

**_"Where is she?" _**

Arizona was Callie's ex-wife she wasn't _meant_ to care. She wasn't _meant _to worry about whether she was okay. She wasn't _meant_ to want to run in there and get her out herself. She wasn't _meant_ to still love her. And yet she did.

_"She's still in there, with the kids. That's why I need to go back, I said I would come back." _

Angry and scared Callie snapped at Alex, _"Then why did you leave her there in the first place."_

_"Because, Doctor Torres," _Snapping back with sarcastic respect,_ "I have seven patients under my care who I am not going to let walk through a burning building alone." _

Callie's face fell, _"Sorry. Of Course." _She ran a hand through her soaked hair as her mind raced through all the worst thoughts about what could be happening in that building.

The Fire Chief spoke before another snapping war broke out. _"No one is going back in there." _

_"No I told her I would. I can't just leave her."_ Alex spoke out still defiant on going back.

_"No. Your not. I've spoke to Doctor Robbins and she said not to let you back in. It seems the fire has spread to the majority of the back of the ward. No one's going in until we have a plan." _

_"Oh my God, You don't even have a plan. What kind of Fire Chief are you?"_ Callie shouted at the seemingly incompetent man.

_"I am working on it!"_ He shouted back, suddenly losing his cool in trying to keep up professionalism. _"Why the hell do you care about her so much anyway." _

Callie's defensive mechanisms shot up in a snap as an eyebrow rose in surprise. **_Who the hell was guy._** _"What fucking business is it of yours who she is to me. Shouldn't you be concentrating on the fact there is a Doctor and six patients trapped up there and you're doing fuck all to get them out." _

_"Torres!"_ A warning shout came from Owen as he overheard the profanities coming from Callie.

The pair of them ignored Hunt. The Fire Chief quipped back, "_ I am getting a plan together but I am not sending in a crew of my men before knowing how to deal with the situation of a fire sitting above gallons of highly flammable gas."_ He immediately regretted saying that and his face said it all. So did Callie's. _"Why the hell would you tell me about that."_ Panic set in as the sounds of sirens and people and cars become blurred in the train of her thoughts. She had already let go of Arizona but she couldn't lose her.

—-

Stood still after dropping the phone, Arizona stared at the fire. The heat and smoke being intoxicating to the grip of her silent panic. She was unable to concentrate on anything else but only the growing volume of flickering orange mass before her. Until she felt it again, the adrenaline levels rising and surging her body in to power as she came across the room which now housed the majority of her patients.

Arizona flung the door open to find five equally as scared faces, each giving a sigh of relieve to see her. Arizona's mantra towards pediatrics played on repeat trough her mind before she spoke.**_ They hope and they cross their fingers and they make wishes. And that's what makes them more resilient than adults. They recover fast, survive worse, they believe. In Peds, we have miracles and magic. In Peds, anything is possible. _**With a smile strong enough to hide her own fear, she powered through. _"Hey guys! Can you do be a favour and put these on for me?"_ Arizona handed each of them a surgical mask from a pile on the shelf. Who knows if it would help shield the ever increasing smoke but it was she had.

_"What's happening Dr. Robbo?"_ A six year-old came clambering over to Arizona. Christopher, an appendectomy paient , who always wished to be called Christopher and never Chris because _'he liked people taking the time to say his whole name' _which was ironic considering he only called Arizona_ 'Dr Robbo'_ and had a smile that just seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness.

_"Nothing sweetie, Your just going to all be surgeons for a while okay and I'm gonna go check somethings and then we'll all get out here, yeah?_" He tightened up his surgical mask and nodded in acceptance.

Now Arizona's eldest of patients, Anna, who was 16 years old, an early stage pancreatic cancer patient who was a sweet girl encased in the typical teenage attitude._ "Don't sugarcoat it. I'm not a kid like these lot." _

_"No you're not, you know whats happening so look after these lot and all put on your masks on and for god sake someone calm Natasha down."_ A small girl was sat in the corner crying hysterically verging on a panic attack. _"Theres meant to be seven of you… and theres not so i'm going to look okay?"_

—

_"What? We're all just going to stand here while the fuck-up of a Fire Chief does nothing and watch the hospital blow up." _Callie Torres had not calmed down. The complete opposite had happened and was now refusing to speak to the Fire Chief as she paced up and down as the chaos continued to out fold in the car park. _"Shall I get the frickin' popcorn and soda?" _

She fell to the kerb in a heap of heartache. Helplessness took like a sickness, caught paralysed as the only thing she was able to do was think about whatever possible state Arizona would be leaving that building in.

Until, a familiar face with an unfamiliar voice came up behind the group._ "I think I can help."_ The man had a strong, bordering on warn out face with dismal grey eyes to match. Yet, his strong arms provided hope as they set down multiple camera screens and switchboards on to a near bench. The movement of his arms revealed the black label across his chest** 'security'. **

He set up all the screens in a row and set the switchboard in front of them. _"I don't think we need them anymore."_ and switched a switch labelled **'alarms'. **Though the chaos still rippled through the hospital grounds an eerie silence suddenly filled everyone's ears. It lingered in the air, thick and heavy, like a blanket. Providing a layer between those trying to fix the problem and those caught up in the problem. Grey, the Shepherds, Hunt, Karev and Wilson and Kepner and Avery all stood behind watching the man's actions as Callie kept back, scared of what was unfolding. The man then switched another switch labelled '**sprinklers'**, _"better late than never." _

Now for the big show. The set of tv-screen looking monitors flickered on. Showing the image of a menu of options, each option listed was a floor in the hospital. He flicked through the floors, past dermatology and neuro, past ortho and the ER and highlighted the PEDS floor. One click away from seeing what was behind that wall. Before he did the security guard turned to them all, _"You guys wanna do this?_" Each face turned to Owen for approval who then turned back to the confused heap of a Callie who was still sat on the side of the kerb, head in arms. _This would help them_, he thought. _"Go for it."_

**Boy, had Grey-Sloan Memorial upped their security **


	9. WATCH ME

**SCREEN ONE —- 16:34 PM **

The small TV flickered on. The group huddled in closer as an image of the flickering flames paralleled the flickering quality. The screen showed the main doors to the PEDS floor. Flames engulfing each inch of the doorway, sparks intertwining with every splinter in the wood work. The innocent connotation of the word 'pediatrics' across the door over shadowed by the deathly undertones of the fire.

The main exit point wiped out and all everyone could do was watch it all unfold.

**SCREEN TWO — 16:35 PM**

No fire. Empty, just an empty area of a corridor and paitent rooms branching out. Seemingly all empty, until a flicker of movement caught the eye of the camera through the thin blinds of one of the rooms. a mass of people, trapped in a room like a tin of sardines as the chaos unfolded around them. Trapped in the unknowing of what was happening, praying for the time when Dr. Robbins was coming back to come soon. A room of nothing but helpless kids.

**SCREEN THREE —- 16:35 PM**

A wide shot, now on to the majority of the PEDS floor, NICU and more patients rooms. Quiet for what seemed like minutes. The audience taking in the silence. Until a person moving so fast, they were left just as a blurred moving lab coat. Running, flinging doors open as she past, searching for the two missing kids. a feeling began building like an unstoppable snowball in the pit of Arizona's stomach. Her brain starts to fire out negative thoughts like a machine gun. Thoughts flying around so fast her body couldn't even comprehend the levels of pain she should be feeling as her burnt hand gripped each door handle. Her palm finding new texture as the skin turned to a layered maze of crisp.

Through the sounds of crashing doors against walls in was hard to hear but a small voice broke out, crying in fear. _"Help! Dr Alex? Dr Arizona?"_ It was a weak voice, a voice the quivered heavy with tears. A child's voice that used to laugh hysterically at nothing in particular, screaming in happiness at life's normal occurrences like rainbows or puddles, not who should be stood alone in a room frozen in fear as flames began to leak round the corner. Arizona ran towards the voice, now noticing the little girl who was Abigail. Abigail was four years old and the similarities that Arizona saw between her and Sofia caused her heart too rip. They shared the same infectious laugh and the sweetest eyes of toffee brown.

She saw Abigail more than she did her own daughter and now her thoughts raced back to her whole fucked up situation, and how Callie was stood outside now. Arizona stood thinking she probably didn't care about her in here, would rather just get out the rain, into warmth. She feel like she deserved to be cared about by Callie anymore. That ship had sailed. She wasn't in a position to be cared by anyone.

As soon as Abigail had seen Arizona her face became overwhelmed with relief. She ran up to the familiar face and hung on to Arizona's leg for dear life. Crying hysterical into the navy blue material.

_"Hey! Hey, come on. You're okay, safe now I promise!"_ Arizona's voice turned soothing, not soothing as in a consoling doctor but as a protective mother. Is it not unknown, sadly, for women to be looked down at in the surgical battlefield. It being said that every women is set for motherhood and therefore said for either a failed family or a failed career. Having both successful was impossible. Arizona of course called bullshit to any one who tried to tell her this because pediatrics was the one speciality where doctors who were parents were seen as Gods because only they could see into the child's mind. Though Sofia, Arizona had learnt how to care, how to love more than she ever thought she could thus making her a stronger doctor.

Arizona pulled another surgical mask out of her pocket. _"Let's put this on, try and keep you safer"_ Her voice strong as her eyes spoke a different story, trying not wince in pain as her hand fumbled with the strings. "_But you don't have one Dr. Arizona!"_ Four years old and yet a heart of gold. She only had one more in her pocket after giving Abigail hers, she needed to save for the last missing kid. "You need it more than me" As Arizona tied the mask around her head, Abigail caught glimpse of Arizona's hand. Now the lower palm and wrist a darkening red/ brown colour. Different layers of skin peeled back at various layers. Arizona felt pain but found comfort in the lack of bone she saw. To her seeing bone meant one thing, and she really needed her hand. An average 4 year old would squeal at the sight but hospital kids, they've seen it all._ "Dr Arizona?!"_

_"I'm fine sweetie,"_ Pulling Abigail up on to her hip she let her head fall to her shoulder as she feel sleepy after getting so worked up._ "Let's try and get out of here"_ She spoke as her eye's caught sight of the main doors.

**OUTSIDE —- 16:43 PM**

Callie had now moved from her near fetal position on the floor and was once again facing off with the fire chief.

_"It's been 20 minutes since the sirens were sounded and you've done nothing but tell us the floor could blow up any minute!" _

_"The plan is to speak to Dr. Robbins again and get her and everyone near the window so we can get them out!" _

Their voices were rising once again. Callie had never had so much focused anger for practically a stranger but this stranger had a duty of care, a job and now this job was to save her… she nearly said wife. Arizona wasn't her wife. **Ex - wife**. She didn't want to be that way but it had to be.

_"Oh sure, because she seems perfectly free to have a good catch up on the phone right now."_ Callie stormed off and left the Fire Chief to his crew of overly macho looking men.

The fire chief muttered something under his breath as he punched in the numbers on the number pad. Everyone gathered around the screens to see if she would pick up.

**SCREEN FOUR —- 16:43 PM **

The stillness of the air sucked away any form of sound. Only the sounds of the telephone ringing created an echo against the crackle of the burning wood.

**ring ring **

Callie couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Of course something wasn't right, 8 people were trapped in a fire but it was too quiet

**ring ring **

Arizona could feel her lungs slowly filling with something that wasn't clear air. A pushing lead weight against her chest.

**ring ring **

A single grunt answered the call. _"Is that you, Dr. Robbins?" "No its the fire brigade. Oh wait you're out there!"_ Unknowing she was on speaker phone, her response got a snort of laughter from the crowd, a strange break in the tension. "_You all need to get to the window." _

"_I will get them to the window. I need to find the other kid, quickly." "Dr. Robbins you sound like your suffocating. You need to get out!"_

He was right. She longed for the fresh air, filling her lungs with something other than thick, grey smoke.

_"I can't!" _

**The line went dead.**

**SCREEN THREE — 16:50 PM**

Back to the PEDS floor. This time no Abigail, no Arizona but a boy who looked around 5. He was stood in his room, the door flung open. Unable to get out as a thin blanket of fire cover the surrounding his room and yet he wasn't crying, just stood admiring the fire.

Outside, everyone stood watching this boy, even Callie, waiting to see Arizona run round the corner.

And she did, noticeably slower this time. _"Shit!"_ She burst out at the sight of the fire sheet. She then looked up at the boy, who she know recognised as Nathan. _"You didn't hear that."_ She ran up as close as she could to the fire and to Nathan. The gap between them was perhaps six foot wide and one foot high. _"Can you jump that far?_" Nathan frantically shook his head. Fear now setting in as he began to release he couldn't get out. "_I want my Mom!"_ He wailed, backing further into the room away from Arizona. "_I know, I know."_ She began to look around for something to use as a bridge.

Nothing. Most things had been wiped out or flammable. Then she hit, a scary, metal mindwave.

_**"Turn around!" **_

_"What?"_ Nathan was obviously confused.

_"What she doing?"_ Everyone outside was confused,except one.

_"Its genius thats what!"_ Callie had the same brainwave and a smile of proud wiped over her face.

Arizona flung off her left shoe and ripped off her scrub trouser leg up to her knee. _"Okay Nathan? We have one chance. As soon as I jump towards the fire, your gonna jump to me and ill catch you? okay?" _

_She had one chance. Her prosthetic was the majority metal but some plastic, too long and it would melt. She one chance to catch him. If she didn't catch him…. god no. _

Not taking her eyes of Nathan, she jumped into the low fire hopping uneasy on her prosthetic.

_"Jesus Christ"_ Owen panted at the sight.

Callie became uneasy.

Nathan leaped. One moment to catch with one unharmed arm. "Gotch'ya" She managed a smile as she swung around and out of the blanket of fire.

_"How the hell!"_ Alex was lost.

**ROOM 24B — 16:53 PM **

**7 kids. 1 doctor. **

One doctor who began to feel dizzy. Feeling the suffocating warmth of the continual smoke crawling its way down her throat. She doubled over, out of breath. As she did so wisps of her blonde hair came to view for the first time, coloured a light grey from smut. Nearing on 30 minutes they had all been her, it was time to go.

She was well aware her prosthetic was on show in front of a room full of children who probably know thought she was a robot, she didn't care. Might as well continue, She walked up to the window. Slowly as the dizziness increased as she walked. One strong kick with a plastic foot straight through the window.

The loud noise caught the attention of a small huddle of people straight below the window. She prayed they hadn't ended up with a sheet of glass in their head, that was the last thing she or anyone needed.

She waited before getting everyone else's attention, stood four stories above she took in the fresh air. Trying to fill up her lungs but they already felt full with something else. Hell, she was a doctor. she knew what was happening. Lost in the feeling of the cold rain against her face, she hadn't realised her torso was know hanging out the window and was being pulled in by the kids. This got everyone's attention.

_"Arizona!"_ A loud shout came from a warm, familiar voice that she hadn't heard in months.

Barely a whisper came out as she sat slumped against the wall_, "Calliope…" _

One by one the kids were pulled out by the fireman lift down the ladder, all running in to the arms of their parents.

One last call came from the bottom of the ladder. "Dr. Robbins? you ready to come down?"

Silence.

Worried exchanges were shared between doctors.

**"Well go get her!" **


	10. PHOENIX RISING

Arizona couldn't remember how she had gotten on the floor but somehow all she was staring was the ceiling. She could feel it. The cold and tight feeling in her chest, her eyesight going blurry. All around her clean, white ceiling. Quickly Arizona began losing herself. Eyes closing, as the images of your life were faintly being seen in your eyelids. She had been here before, draining away. But before she lying on the forrest floor with the sights of trees and birds and now she was suck with nothing but white. It was nice not having to fight to breathe anymore, as she fell towards the darkness.

Callie had known waiting. She'd even grew accustom to it. She had waited for the ambulance with Arizona after the car crash, She had waited to be able to see her daughter, She had waited to hear from Arizona and Mark after the plane crash. She had gotten good at it. However, as she stood back watching this burley grunt of man climb up the ever ascending ladder to get Arizona down, she released maybe she wasn't so good anymore.

A hushed silence had fallen across the parking lot. An eeriness across the selection of staff, patients, parents of no longer trapped kids clutching them so tightly that you would be worried for their circulation, even a gathering huddle of press. It was if each one knew what they were all waiting for.

The silence stretched thinner and thinner, like a balloon blown big and caused Callie's muscles to tense as she saw movement near the window. Each one of the kids had been brought down in the typical fireman lift but this one, this one was heartbreakingly different.

Emerging from the window and down the steps of the ladder was Arizona draped across the shoulder and back of the Fireman. Her head hung down, unmoving behind a layer of blonde locks covered in ash. No movement. As Arizona lied still as did the doctors, stuck in a trance of watching the fireman ever slowly creep down the four story high ladder. Callie felt a grip of support on her shoulder from somebody as her mind fled to thinking the worse.

She had loved Arizona and seeing her in this way, unknowing of what was going to happen brought it all back. Callie had thought that in the seven months of them being apart she had gotten over Arizona. She'd gotten peoples numbers, she had been on dates but each time she got home there was still the one person that she wanted to talk about her day with. Deep down she knew and remembered the valid reasons why she had walked out of that therapy room. But there was always something drawing her back in.

Callie was brought out of her thought process by a man's booming voice, "_Have we got a doctor_?" _Have we got a doctor_, Callie thought, _No. A whole hospital and not single doctor. _She really had not got the time for this. "_I've got her."_ Callie ran off towards the unmoving heap that was Arizona now lying on the less damp section of the ground. Nobody stopped her, nobody said she shouldn't be a doctor for some one so close to her. Everyone just stood and hoped for something good.

Callie fell to her knees next to her. _"Come on Arizona._" She spoke softly while fixing her position. _"5 days in a forrest after a plane crash, you can do 20 minutes in a fire._" Callie's efforts in coaxing her awake grew useless as her shaking hand went to check her pulse.

_In medical school you're taught how at certain times you have to disconnect yourself from your patients because while your stood at an OR table putting back together the pieces that have broken you can't be thinking about their families, their kids. Everything they'd be leaving behind if the worst was to happen. However, its a whole different ball game when their family is your family. _

_"No!"_ Callie's voice cracked as she kept checking her wrist and her neck for a pulse. _"Pull yourself together, Torres,"_ she thought. "_She's your _**_ex-_**_wife_." Callie's hands, without even thinking about it, linked over each other and fell towards Arizona's chest. 1...2...3... With each chest compression hoping to bring her back Callie couldn't help but notice the missing necklace. She shouldn't be surprised, Callie wasn't wearing hers. Though the reminder didn't help hold back the tears_. "_**_Ex_**_- wife, _**_Ex_**_- wife_" She chanted to herself, forcing back the tears.

_1 round of chest compression. Nothing. _

1..2...3... She wouldn't stop, she kept going. Harder. Each push wanting to bring her back more. _"Arizona, Sofia needs you. She doesn't get to start of with three parents and before she's five end up with one. No."_ When Mark died Sofia was so young that it didn't take much explaining about where he had gone. But if she had had to explain what had happened to her Mama... The thought brought back the tears. Now falling on the backs of her hands as they stayed underneath her constantly going up and down.

_2 rounds of Chest compressions. Nothing. _

She kept going. Feeling the burning sensation travel up her muscles. She kept going. "_Please...__._" 1...2...3.. "_Just wake up."_ Callie could hear footsteps behind her but kept her head down and focused on keeping the beat of the CPR. "_Torres?_ _Maybe we should get her in an Ambulance._" Owen stood behind her watching the tears fall from Callie's eyes and the pale lifeless face of Arizona. "_No! We move her and we stop the CPR and if we stop that she has no chance. She will wake up and she will be fine."_ Her voice snapped at Owen, never looking at him just keeping her head down. It wasn't until he was taking off his lab coat that she had noticed he was sat next to her. "_What the hell are you doing._" He began wrapping the coat around Arizona's burnt hand which she hadn't even looked at and was lying burn-down in to the wet, gravely floor._ "I'm helping."_ As quickly as he sat down Owen got back up and ran over to the nearest Ambulance. Callie now saw him wheeling over a stretcher. Owen could see her defences fire up and soon calmed her down. _"For when she wakes up."_

_3 rounds of Chest compressions. Nothing. _

_"Arizona..._" By this Callie's arms had grown numb but she didn't stop _"I'd rather be arguing with you than this. Come on, just this morning we were arguing about frickin' sandwiches._" She let out a laugh to herself. She didn't even know what she laughing at but she needed something to stop her from getting angry. That thing soon ran out. "_For god sake, Arizona. I know you're still there. That super magic smile is still there with the piercing blue eyes." _

She was ready to collapse

to give up to return to her fetal position

she gave one more push a firm, hard punch on the centre of Arizona's chest.

Closed fist. One shot.

And just as Callie's fist left contact with Arizona's chest. A single, spluttered cough escaped Arizona's lips. Callie could see that noise fast becoming her favourite sound. The lone cough became paired with a sharp in breathe of clean air and a wince of pain. Callie was impatiently waiting for her to open her eyes, "_Arizona?_" Her reply came as a confused frown but slowly Arizona's eyelids lifted revealing the blood shot yet trademark blue eyes. "_...Calliope_." A soft, barely hearable voice. Callie's thoughts corrected themselves. Now, that was her favourite sound.

_The two stayed there for a while. Arizona catching her breath and Callie regaining the feeling in her arms. Then, they shared a wordless, yet meaningful look. As if they both desired to initiate something, but both are too scared to initiate themselves. They both could easily remember how the past years had made them feel but right now neither of them cared. Callie couldn't hold it in anymore. The initial meeting of lips was filled with familiarity, feeling like home. The soft gentle kiss gradually turned into a deep passionate kiss. The silence around them quickly filled with the cheering and clapping from their friends behind them. _


End file.
